If you call her the Afrikaans Queen of South African airwaves, you will not be far from the truth. Sonja Herholdt is definitely one of the most recognized musicians that South Africa has ever produced.
The accomplished singer is also a talented actress, performer, songwriter, and record label owner. Her songs have dominated the airwaves both in South Africa and Europe, and more could still come from her in the future.
Biography of Sonja Herholdt
Sonja was born on December 1, 1952, in a small mining town called Nigel in South Africa. Her mother must have influenced her love for music, as she was the one who accompanied her when she made her singing debut at 3. Not much else is known about her early years, father, and/or siblings, but we know that she has/is fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a musician.
Sonja began and completed her early education at the Afrikaans-medium Tini Vorster Primary and John Vorster High school – where she had both her primary and secondary school education. Sonja Herholdt began displaying leadership qualities at a very early age and was made the Head Girl perfect in both schools.
She had a passion to become a teacher, and after completing her secondary school education, she got admitted to the Johannesburg College of Education, where she obtained a Diploma cum laude in Teaching. She loved imparting knowledge to others and she taught for a few years before meeting her husband, thereafter exchanging her teaching passion for another – music.
Music and Acting Career
Sonja is one you could actually call a “natural born singer”. At 3, she gained the attention of her community when she stood before them to sing the Afrikaans lullaby titled Slaap, My Kindjie at a local recreation hall.
She came to limelight when she appeared on the Gwynneth Ashley Robins show and recorded a single titled Ek Verlang Na Jou, which sold more than 25,000 copies. She released several other singles and albums, most of which were commercially successful.
The mid-1970s and entire 1980s were her best years musically as she was clearly the “queen of the airwaves” in South Africa. After conquering her country’s airwaves, she set her sight on the European space – making waves particularly in Belgium and the Netherlands.
She realized her dream to be an actress when she featured in Sing vir die Harlekyn – her performance won her the Rapport Oscar award as the Best Female Newcomer. She released more commercially successful singles and albums into the 2000s era.
Her Husband and Family
Sometime in the mid-1970s, Sonja met a dashing and wonderful young university lecturer named FC Hamman, who swept her off her feet and culminated in marriage in 1976. She and her husband both shared their love for the Arts, and this passion further fueled their relationship and marriage the more. The couple probably due to their busy lifestyles had to wait for 6 years before they welcomed their first child – a girl named Claudia in 1982. A son they named Simeon followed in 1985, and 2 years later another child, Jesse followed. Their last child, Timothy was born in 1991.
2 years after Timothy’s birth, he fell ill as children normally would and hIs parents nursed him back to health, but they discovered after his recovery from the illness that their son had lost his sense of hearing. They were devastated by this development and tried all they could to restore his hearing, but all efforts proved abortive.
In order to help her son and several other children who may be going through his present predicament, Sonja Herholdt started a school for linguistically and hearing-impaired children – particularly for Afrikaans children who have never had such facility made available to them before. The school was located in a section of Bryanston Primary School and was the first of its kind within the region.
The Marriage Of Sonja Herholdt Ended in Divorce
Sonja’s marriage to FC Hamman was pure bliss at the beginning and they were head over heels in love right from the onset. It was her love for her husband that made her quit her day job when they met, in order to pursue her dream as a musician. In fact, she was even reported to have written and recorded a song specifically for her husband, expressing her love and admiration for him.
Sadly, about 20 years after their marriage, the couple sought a divorce in 1996, putting an end to their union. Reports had it that she sought a divorce from her husband of 2 decades based on the fact of unfaithfulness on his part.
See Also: Pearl Thusi- 7 Interesting Facts To Know About Her
Recognition and Awards
Sonja Herholdt has won several Sarie awards in the Best Female Singer and Best Album categories about 9 times beginning from 1975 through 1980. She has also received 2 Lifetime Awards organized by Skouspel (2010) and Tempo Toekennings (2010) and a few others.
